Borussia Dortmund vs Sturm Graz Preview & Prediction | 2024-25 UEFA Champions League | League Phase

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Nuri Sahin is under immense pressure now at Borussia Dortmund with the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League runners’ up badly struggling as they now prepare to welcome Austrian champions Sturm Graz to the Westfalenstadion.

KICK-OFF DATE/TIME: Tuesday 5th November, 2024 - UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm

HOW TO WATCH ON TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised

HOW TO WATCH ONLINE: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+

BORUSSIA DORTMUND PREVIEW: NO IMPROVEMENT

Last season, Borussia Dortmund reached the final of the UEFA Champions League but things didn’t seem too smooth off the pitch and Edin Terzic was let go with former Dortmund, Liverpool and Real Madrid midfielder Nuri Sahin replacing him. With supposedly grand intentions, Dortmund have endured a very difficult start to the season.

They do come into this one on the back of a crucial and much-needed defeat of RB Leipzig, turning around an early deficit in that match. They have started this season’s UEFA Champions League with victories against Club Brugge and Celtic before losing 5-2 against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in a game in which they had led 2-0 at half-time. 

STURM GRAZ PREVIEW: TOUGH LIFE 

Sturm Graz took advantage of the stumbling Red Bull Salzburg last season to end their dominance win the Austrian Bundesliga. They have backed that up by sitting at the top-of-the-table once again after 12 matches in the Austrian top-flight but they were held to a 1-1 draw by ten-man fellow title challengers Rapid Vienna in Graz at the weekend.

In Europe, Sturm started their campaign with a 2-1 defeat to Ligue 1 side Stade Brest before then losing by a goal to nil at home to Club Brugge at the beginning of last month. In their most recent outing on the continent, Sturm suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Sporting CP with goals being scored by Nuno Santos and Viktor Gyokeres. 

BORUSSIA DORTMUND TEAM NEWS: INJURY CRISIS

Some mitigation for Nuri Sahin would be the amount of injuries he is dealing with. Summer signings like Waldemar Anton and Yan Couto are among those sidelined.

As well as that defensive duo, Dortmund are also without key players through the spine of their side such as Niklas Sule, Marcel Sabitzer and Karim Adeyemi. 

PREDICTED XI (4-1-4-1): Meyer; Gross, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha; Beier, Malen, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy

UNAVAILABLE: Kobel (Injured), Sule (Injured), Anton (Injured), Watjen (Injured), Ryerson (Injured), Couto (Injured), Sabitzer (Injured), Duranville (Injured), Reyna (Injured), Adeyemi (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

STURM GRAZ TEAM NEWS: A FEW ISSUES

Former Huddersfield Town defensive midfielder and Slovenia international Jan Gorenc Stankovic remains out for Sturm Graz due to a shoulder injury.

As well as Stankovic still being out for the visitors, defender Alexandar Borkovic is dealing with an ACL injury, whilst Gregory Wuthrich is also sidelined for Sturm. 

PREDICTED XI (4-4-1-1): Scherpen; Gazibegovic, Aiwu, Geyrhofer, Lavalee; Yalcouye, Horvat, Chukwuani, Boving; Jatta; Biereth

UNAVAILABLE: Wuthrich (Injured), Borkovic (Injured), Stankovic (Injured)

QUESTIONABLE: 

KEY STATS

• Dortmund are unbeaten in their last 11 UEFA competition matches at home (W7 D4). Since a 4-2 defeat against Rangers in the 2021/22 Europa League knock-out play-off round.
• Dortmund have won their last four home matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper.
• Dortmund have only lost one of their previous six UEFA competition matches against Austrian teams (W4 D1).
• Dortmund have only failed to score in one of their last 14 UEFA Champions League matches.
• Sturm Graz have won only three of their last 16 UEFA competition matches (D2 L11).
• Including qualifying, Sturm Graz have lost their last ten UEFA Champions League matches.
• Sturm Graz have lost their last five matches in the UEFA Champions League competition proper. Since a 2-1 win at Panathinaikos in the second group stage in February 2001.
• Sturm Graz have won only one of their previous eight UEFA competition matches against German teams (D1 L6).
• Sturm Graz have lost only two of their last 19 away matches in all competitions (W11 D6)

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS STURM GRAZ PREDICTION

Borussia Dortmund have been high-scoring and entertaining to watch so far this season. In fact, their 14 matches so far this season across all competitions have produced a combined total of 55 goals. They now face a Sturm Graz side that will seek to exploit defensive vulnerabilities as well as injuries in this Dortmund side. The hosts remain firm favourites but another high-scoring affair is to be expected for this one in Germany. 

BORUSSIA DORTMUND VS STURM GRAZ TIP: BORUSSIA DORTMUND TO WIN & OVER 2.5 GOALS